Mom Transfers Son’s ADHD Medication to Clear Pills — and Makes Alarming Discovery About Dosages (Exclusive)

A North Carolina mom made an alarming discovery over the holidays when she noticed unexpected inconsistencies in her son’s ADHD medication dosage.

Because of her 12-year-old son Noah’s sensitivity to the color red 40, Tabetha Klein usually puts her son’s ADHD medication in clear pill capsules. When handling his December prescription, Klein saw that some of the transferred contents filled only half of the replacement capsules.

Alarmed by the mislabeled doses, she took to TikTok to describe the situation, explaining that she was “documenting this in case anyone else has this problem.” She has since released three updates as a follow-up to the first video.

“Look at the difference between these two [pills]” Klein said in the clip, holding a pair of clear capsules containing very different levels of medication. She added that the higher dose seemed more consistent with last month’s prescription, which came from a different manufacturer.

Klein, who runs a cooking blog called Tabeth’s Table, noted her uncertainty about the source of the problem, especially given the ongoing shortage of ADHD medications.

In the following video, Klein said she contacted her pharmacy and the drug manufacturer, but got little feedback, so she also filed reports with agencies like the FDA. Klein tells PEOPLE that she has yet to hear back about her complaints and reports other than confirmations of the filing.

Tabetha Klein.

Tabetha Klein

Earlier this month, the mom of two posted another update on TikTok explaining that she was able to get Noah brand-specific Adderall pills to avoid dealing with different manufacturers. Since starting the new pills, Klein tells PEOPLE the dosage has been consistent.

Her original TikTok post received more than 860,000 views and 63,000 likes, with users flocking to the comments to express their sympathy and share similar experiences.

“They look exactly like the pills I take. Now I wonder if my medicine is inconsistent,” one person wrote in response to the video.

Tabetha Klein.

Tabetha Klein

Another viewer opened up about his struggle with another drug. They commented that their last medication for depression “came from another manufacturer. Within 2 weeks I was so depressed and spiraling. I had to call for a different prescription and jump through hoops. I finally got a brand that works.”

Other TikTok users questioned whether the drug had significantly affected Noah. Klein confirms to PEOPLE that her son’s school has raised several concerns about his erratic behavior.

“His teachers will call us and say he was struggling more or less that day and we can’t figure out what’s causing it,” she says. “They must have asked ‘Did he take his medicine today?’ It literally bounces off the walls.’ ”

Tabetha Klein.

Tabetha Klein

Klein says the “biggest red flag” came at mealtime. Decreased appetite is a common side effect of stimulant medication, and Klein says her son is rarely hungry during the school day.

While she’s not happy with Noah’s lack of hunger “for health reasons,” Klein takes it as a sign that his ADHD medication is working to its full potential.

“Those days when he takes his medicine and then eats his entire lunch [and] asks for a snack when he gets home, we know something is wrong with the dose,” Klein tells PEOPLE. She adds that since Noah started taking the brand-specific Adderall, his appetite has remained consistently low.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education